Safety razor



Jan. ra, 1946. N. TEST. l 2,392,431

sAFE'iY RAZOR Filed Oct. 19, 194.4

Patented Jan. 8, 1946 1' SAFETY RAZOR e Nicholas Testi, Boston, Mass., assi'gnor to Gillette Safety. Razor .Compan PorationfofDelaware Application odore; 1o, 1944gseuai No'. 559.311.

(Cla 305140) 6 Claims.

The present invention relatesnto safetyrazrors of the. type in which a thin flexible replaceable blade'isclamped. for shaving between cooperatrinfg@ cap and. guard members. connected to permit of only' limited separation for the insertion, of a blade; presented endwise betweenthem..

In vrrazors1of: thstype, a clamping spindle passes through the: space between fthe capand guard, members, beingloweredwhena blade is tube/pref-l sented in shaving DQSton and being elevated for threaded, connection withtbe cap'whenthe blade is toV be clamped.V It is important t rlure that thisl spindle is in unobstructing ork inoperative positionwhen the blade isr being presented and this'is. particularly the case when. lthe` blade is b eingied, mechanically from` a magazine. Iflthe spindlegislallowed to obstruct the passage of the bldeatQthis timetheblade may be broken or del'ected.'y or the blade may. be jammedln the magazineel vTheprimary object of the present invention is to provide, means for holding or retainingV the spindle in unobstructing position in the razor Whenabladeis totbefpresented inv shaving position, Preferably this meansis associatedwith a blade nlagazine and when employed in such association ithas the additional function of preventthe magazine from beingpresented in blade-v lweflivering,.position eicpt when theispindle occupies a positionl clearing the-bladepassage.,

'I hey preferred construction, for achieving the desired.resultscomprises a shoulder in the spindle forlcooperationfwith a locking member which maybe moved into `engagernentwith *thev shoulder of. the spindle when the latter is` tobe locked in its'unobstructing position and which may be re. moved after a blade has beenfully inserted solas toi free :the spindle for its movement into .clampingY relation with the. cap of thev razor.

Whenthe spindleelocking means is employedin association with a blade magazine Vit-may'f take the formera forked projection which interlocks or interconnects withthe razor. structureosoy as to locate the magazine properly for the presentation o fI theblade andthus fullls two functions, that ofproperly locatingthe magazinefor blade delivery-.c andrjthat o fanchoring the vclamping spindle in inoperativeV position.

Thelnventionmaybeadvantageously embodied in safety razors adapted to operate with either open-endorclosedend `loladesboth of such blades being usually provided. withl a. central aperture affording clearance for the passage of the spindle when the blade has-been fullypresented in shavingv position.

These and'dother features of f the -inventionwill behest understood and appreoiatedffrom the-:following. description of e preferredL ombodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown-in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. ,1. is.. a Viewv invlonsitudinal section, .of-ztlie rozorandmaeazine in operative rolatiolu Fig. 21s a-vieW\.of,-tnerazor head in crosaseoe tion ,i

llig,13is.a viewv of they razorheadin :longitudinal section with 4`its .partsE shown `in blade-.clam position; .f

l'iglfi is a- .v ievvdn perspective of* theguard member and, handle, a portion beine-brokenout of the guard; and

Fig. 5isa fragmentary View. in perspeChill?.A 9&1 on. anfenlarged-.scaleof the magazina l In therillustrated embodimentof. the invention, thek )razor4 head` ineludes a `blad@f-SllDllOllinfe- @0.1i guard member l I 0; armonie-rectangular 'inout-,line and hasan upwardly convexl blade-.supporting Surface. as bestshownirivFigs.. 2'. ande... guard. lois rigidly securedgto.thfuppelif-endofa handleil lwhichinoludeslin its st.ruoture tuuu.: lar barrel: I Z. e The, longitudinar. edges of.; .the Yguard member arolturneddownauditsbody,ener: tured to set olf guard Abars V|3fateacl1 sideofthe guard. The guardis also-.providedfwithza medial bladefloeating .rib l 4. which projects algpove'y the convex face of the guard andyextends:tofitsblade receiving. end, Ther-edge of the rib itself` is curved to facilitate passage overit 0f the solid- .endY Of. a blade.

Cooperating; with, the, guardL member is, o .Cap member I5 having at oneend spaced-downf-turned arms: lliT integralwith -whichpis formed; anfinwarvdly exten,dingy ,langea Il. The flange.V Ilis aperturedfto lfit lwith learaneeupon thezupperendfof thelhandleil being-movable freely th ere.v on. andi limiting and guiding; the cap; inl its move- Inent .with `respect to the guard member. The con snrovded'fwith'a medial groove lsf inwhich therib 1 I4` is received withclearance when the cap and guard areclampedon ari-interposed. blade; It is also lprovided with-av 'centrally Vdisposed threaded aperture I9.y forl connection withv 'the clamping spindle 20ovfthe= razor.-

'lfhe clamping spindle@ isreoeived: telesooo.-` cally within the handle l l and the barrely I2 there. of.; It is-provided at its lower end with-a knurled head 2Ia nd isthreadedat its upper end22` for connectionw-ith the` cap I5.v It is also-provided below itsthreadedend-With a constricted-, neek-, 21 providing-a square lshoulder-inthe spindle shaped for inte.1- 1 .J.oki,ng.` ongagemor1-t;withy thoretenl'ns elementto be describedhereinafter,v The handle Il is providedinv opposite sides withgrooveslll which open into the boreofA thehand1e-and-so afford access to the spindle 20 therein.

A compression; spring 2-5 surroundsythe upper end-ofthe handle Il, beingsupported atitslowerv end by=a shoulder formed Yin vtl'leohandle andgbear.r inset. its upper end .og-einst the :retaining flange noie-the, oanmembera The-.srringaltends at alliimeato J.lift` the oop-.- tiene illusie scattato,

the blade-engaging faces of the cap and guard sufficiently to provide a passage between them for a bladev presented endwise. The limiting po-l this position of the parts, of course, the clamping spindle 20 is disconnected from the cap and when the razor is held in vertical position the spindle drops-by its own weight so asto clear the blade passage, being arrested in its lowermost position byV an internal rib 26 inthe handle barrel I2 Y which engages a lower shoulder in the spindle.`

In order positively to prevent the clamping spindle 20 from obstructing the blade passage the provision'of a retaining element is contemplated Ywhichris of such shape as to nt into the grooves 24 ofthe handle H, engage the neck 23 ofthe spindle and by contact with'the lower shoulder thereof hold the spindle against upward movement; which might be imparted to the spindle either by tilting the razor as a whole or byinadvertentpressure on the part of the user.` The spindle-retaining member may be advantageous- 1y associated with a magazine and is herein shown in' such organization. The magazine comprises A a bottom 21, side walls 28, and a top formed byspaced inturned flanges 29." Within the magazine is provided a notched blade-locating rib 30 by which the stack of Vslotted blades 3| may be retained in alternatelystaggered relation.Y The blades are normally pressed upwardly by a spring 3'2"- and the uppermost vblade may4 be fed out of the magazine by a feed'slide 33 which is arranged to slide uponthe top flanges V29 of the magazine. The magazine illustrated as part of the present invention is described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,330,252, (dated September 28, 1943, to which reference may be had for further details of this construction. Y

As 'herein shown, the retaining element 34 is secured by rivets or otherwise to the bottom of has once been properly presented the spindle is positively locked against movement and so the user 'isfinsured that-the blade passage is clear "and will not be obstructed in theblade-delivering operation. The safety of the user is thus insured` in two respects: The magazine cannot be presente'drunless the razor is in proper condition to 'receive av blade and the feeding movement of the bladelgcannot be obstructed so long as this Vrelation is maintained.

After Va fresh blade has been delivered to the razor, the magazine may be removed and the clamping spindle thusA released; thereupon the user may push the spindle upwardly and engage its threaded end 2.2 with the cap for the bladeclamping operation. f'

`Having thus disclosedmy invention and described in detail an yillustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: Y j

1. A safety razor and magazine combination in which the safety razor. comprises cooperating Y blade-clamping members and a threaded clamping spindle provided vwith a shoulder, and the Lio the magazine, forming an extension thereof. At n its forward end, it is forkedas best shown in Fig.

` V5, toV fit the grooves 24 of the handle and vto interlock with the constricted neck 23 of the clamping'spindle 20. It is sorelated to the magazine that itY serves Ato locate it properly with respect to the razor for the delivery of successive blades thereto; that is to sayQwhen the fork of the member 34' is properly engaged with the grooves 24 of the handle, the uppermost bladefinthemagazine of the blade. Inward movement of the blade will continue until the shoulders of the vblade bring up against the downturned arms i6 of the cap.

Engagement of these arms therefore determines the proper longitudinal position of the bladein the razor head, and its transverseA position is correspondingly'and positively determined b'y the rib i4. l i

'I'he magazine cannot be brought into proper blade-'delivering position unless the clamping spindle 20 has been lowered so that it clears the blade passage and this brings its constricted neck 23 into registration' with the grooves 24v of the handle. On the other hand, when the magazine magazine has a projecting member shaped toengage said shoulder and limit the movement of said spindle. y

2. A safety razor and magazine combination in which the safety raz'or comprises'V cooperating blade-clamping members and a clamping spindle movable through one of'said members into engagement with the other, and the magazine has means whereby it may be located in'position for delivering blades to the razor and for lockingl the clamping spindle in inoperative position.

, 3. A safety razor and magazine combination in which Vthe safety razor comprises cooperating' blade-clamping members connected for limited separation and thus providing a blade passage, Yand a clamping member movable across the blade passage, and the magazine has meansby which it may be located in position to deliver blades ndwise into said blade passage, said means operating to lock the clamping member out of p-assage-obstructing position.

4. A safety razor and magazine combination in which vthe safety razor comprises v'cooperating blade-clamping members connected Ato provide a blade passage between them, anda clamping member movable across fthe blade' passage, and the magazine hasA a projecting member fitting with the safety razor to determine the bladedelivering position of the magazine, said clamping member-being shaped to prevent presentatinof the magazine in blade-delivering positionwhen the said member is obstructing the blade passage.

5. A safety'razor having, in combination', cooperating cap and guard members, a hollow handlecarrying the guard member, and a clamping spindle .movable in the handleand throughl the guard for engagement with the cap, the spindle having a shoulder therein andthe handle Yhaving an opening giving access to said shoulder whereby the nspindle may be heldin inoperativeA position. K

6. A safety Ymenores f'rsTr."

razor having, inV combination,a 

